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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425792">A New Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikeForza/pseuds/MikeForza'>MikeForza</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:08:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,467</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425792</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikeForza/pseuds/MikeForza</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a changing galaxy, a Zircon decides to make a fresh start on Earth.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A New Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Trying to describe Earth’s beauty to someone without firsthand experience is daunting. What was it about this planet that made it so different from anywhere else in the Universe? Maybe it’s the ecosystem. The rolling green fields that stretch to far that they seem to vanish into the blue sky. The life, so abundant that even in the most remote places there was something new, still waiting to be discovered.</p><p>No. The truth is that there are many worlds with these qualities, at least in the beginning. Yes, none of them have anything like humans, but simple natural beauty couldn’t be it.</p><p>In that case, what was it that brought her here? The question seemed to grow, and Zircon lost herself in thought so completely that she nearly forgot she was walking through Little Homeworld with two of her instructors, Amethyst and Pearl.</p><p> “-anything let us know, okay?” Pearl looked over and smiled patiently, “Hello?”</p><p>Zircon snapped to attention, looking back at Pearl. “I’m sorry. I… I must have gotten distracted. What were you saying?” Amethyst, who had let Pearl do most of the talking, jumped in.</p><p>“Earth can be a confusing place, but we’re here to help you through it.” Amethyst paused before continuing, “You’re taking a big step. I know it’s not easy, starting over, so it’s okay to feel a little nervous.”</p><p>“Thank you. I don’t mean to be rude,” Zircon said rather sheepishly, “I suppose I just have a lot on my mind.”</p><p>“Like I said, it’s fine.”</p><p>As the three of them continued walking down the street, Zircon looked over again at Amethyst, “You really don’t have to carry my things. Please, allow me.”</p><p>Amethyst looked down at the box she was holding. There were only maybe a dozen things in all. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not that much, and we’ll be there in a few minutes.”</p><p>Zircon appreciated the help. Despite having been in Little Homeworld for a few weeks, she still wasn’t familiar with most of the town. Everyone had made an effort to make her feel welcome. It was nice, but she didn’t want to abuse their hospitality.</p><p>Seeing as this was her first time in this area, she took the opportunity to look around. The late afternoon sun hung lazily overhead, signaling the end of classes for the day. Being free time, there were gems walking around, socializing and enjoying the day. More than a few came up to greet them, and although Zircon introduced herself, it was clear she was not the target of their conversation.</p><p>This didn’t bother her, necessarily; after all, she really hadn’t been here very long compared to some of her peers. At the same time, it was becoming clear that making new friends was going to be harder than she anticipated. So far, the only person she had gotten to know well was a Nephrite from Little Homeschool.</p><p>Before Zircon could dwell too much on that, Pearl stopped. “This is it.”</p><p>Zircon looked at the building they were standing in front of. From the outside it looked nice, with a patch of grass and a path leading to the door. Pearl walked up to the door and pulled something out of her pocket. “Okay Zircon, this is the key. If you want a second one, or need a replacement, Bismuth can help.” Pearl held it out. “Oh, and be sure to keep the door locked when you go out.”</p><p>“Of course, thank you.” Zircon accepted it graciously. After a few false starts, she managed to unlock the door and step inside.</p><p>Holding the door open for Pearl and Amethyst, the three of them walked into the main room. There was a table near the corner, with a few chairs around it. Amethyst put Zircon’s stuff down on the table and turned around. “So, whaddya think?”</p><p>“It looks great.” Zircon walked into a small hallway and glanced into the other three rooms. One was a closet, and the other two were just empty. She called out to the others from the hall, “Excuse me, what are these for?”</p><p>Pearl came over to see what she meant. “Oh, well, those could be used however you want. Maybe a bedroom, or an office, anything really. You’ll have time to grow into it.”</p><p>“Right.” Zircon walked back to the main room to address both of them. “Thank you again, Amethyst, Pearl. You, and all the others, have gone above and beyond to help me. I’m very grateful.”</p><p>“When you told us you wanted to move to Little Homeworld, it was the least we could do.” Pearl called out as she and Amethyst began making their way towards the door. “Remember, if there’s anything you need, just give one of us a call.”</p><p>“Yes, right. With the phone. I will.” Zircon watched them as they were leaving. Suddenly, she interrupted them, “Wait, I have a quick question.”</p><p>The two of them turned around. “Yes?” Pearl asked.</p><p>Zircon hesitated before continuing, “Do you think I’ll get the chance to talk to Steven Universe again?” As she went on, she began to lose confidence. “I’ve seen him from time to time, but he always seemed busy…”</p><p>“Don’t be shy, just go up to him. If he’s really busy, he’ll let you know,” Amethyst was quick to respond, “Or, you could come down to Beach City. You haven’t been down there, right?”</p><p>“No, but thank you. I’ll consider it.”</p><p>“Then until next time.” Pearl and Amethyst started walking out towards the street.</p><p>“See ya,” Amethyst called out. Zircon waved to them as they began walking back towards the center of town. With a sigh, she went back inside.</p><p>Living on Earth. This was the day she had been looking forward to everyday for weeks. Now that It was here, things didn’t feel the way she thought it would. Anticipation, it seems, had turned to melancholy. This was the beginning of a new start, an opportunity in a world of opportunities. Yet here she was, standing in her new house, alone.</p><p>Why did she feel this way? Maybe the journey was so engrossing that she never considered the destination. It’s not like nobody warned her. Maybe she should go back; back to her old home, her old friends.</p><p>Zircon decided to take a walk to clear her mind before these thoughts overwhelmed her. Making sure to lock the door behind her, she set off down the street. A soft breeze pushed the day’s heat away, and the sky softened as if to beckon the coming night. As she walked, Zircon found herself reflecting on how much things have changed.</p><p>During Era 2, Zircon Facet-1K2B Cut-7JL oversaw all Kindergarten production on four of Yellow’s colonies. Her strength was in logistics, and after a thorough review her transfer was approved, much to her surprise. She had to manage gems under her, mostly Peridots, and every month she would contact her commanding officer, an Agate, to file a report and receive orders.</p><p>Things proceeded normally, until one day word spread that Pink Diamond was alive and back on Homeworld. Speculation ran rampant. There was talk of Era 3, that Pink was back but… different somehow. Through it all, Zircon followed her duties, making sure production didn’t fall too dramatically. Six months later, she was instructed to pause all Kindergarten activity until further notice.</p><p>It was a confusing time, with the eventual end of the Diamond Authority. The entire command structure had been dissolved. Some gems adjusted better than others. What do you do next, when what you’ve done your whole life is gone? Well, it was a challenge, if nothing else. That’s why when word spread that Steven Universe, liberator of gemkind, had invited gems from across the galaxy to come to Earth, she was inspired.</p><p>Outside of her work, Zircon stayed in contact with gems from her native Kindergarten; a collection of Quartzes that goofed off more often then they should. Still, they shared an honesty that comes from years of friendship. Even so, they couldn’t understand why she wanted to leave. The conversations she had before she left always seemed to go the same way.</p><p>“What’s there on Earth that’s not here?”</p><p>“You can be free to do whatever you want, to be whatever you want.”</p><p>“You have that here, why would you want to give that up?</p><p>“Out there, that unknown, is scary but also beautiful. Who knows what could happen? It could be better than anything here, but I’d never know unless a take that chance. Why don’t you come with me?”</p><p>“We’re happy where we are. But don’t worry, you could always come back and see us.”</p><p>“I could always come back.” Those words seemed to echo in Zircon’s mind as she continued down the street. She looked up, noticing the sun had nearly set. “How long have I been out? I should get back.” Turning around, she started back the way she came.</p><p>By the time she got back home, Zircon had still not entirely shaken her bittersweet feelings. With a feeling a resignation, she decided to try to get some rest. Surely, she would feel better tomorrow.</p><p>She began opening the door, then immediately froze. She forgot to unlock the door. It was already unlocked. Had she forgot to lock it by mistake? No, she was sure she had remembered to. A sense of dread washed over her. Someone had come in while she was gone. Could they still be there? With slightly trembling hands, she slowly opened the door, stepped inside and turned the light on.</p><p>“Welcome to your new home!” came a chorus from inside. Standing in the main room was… a group of gems?</p><p>Before Zircon could realize what she was looking at, Amethyst and Pearl stepped in front of the crowd. Still confused, she smiled. “What’s going on?”</p><p>Pearl took the initiative. “This is your housewarming party. Everyone comes together to celebrate you moving in. It was Amethyst’s idea.”</p><p>Amethyst followed up. “Yeah, it can really help you adjust to the new place.”</p><p>Zircon was still confused. “How did you all get in?” At this, Pearl smiled and reached into her pocket.</p><p>“Here, it’s a second key.” She showed it to Zircon, then handed it to her. “We wanted to surprise you. You actually got here a bit sooner than we thought. I hope you’re not mad.”</p><p>Zircon was quick to dismiss the idea, “No. Of course not.” She smiled, then took a second look around. There were more chairs now, enough to be comfortable at least for a group this size; and Amethyst had placed some snacks and drinks on the table. It was a nice gesture, but Amethyst herself was likely the only one there who would fully appreciate it.</p><p>As Zircon scanned the crowd, her eyes lit up in recognition. It was her friends from offworld. “What are you guys doing here?” she asked.</p><p>A reddish-purple Quartz detached from the group and walked over. “There was no way we were just going to leave you out here to dry, right?”</p><p>Zircon was slightly taken aback. “You guys said you didn’t want to come down.”</p><p>“Well,” the Quartz stammered for a moment, “we never said we wouldn’t visit, so when these guys” she gestured at Pearl and Amethyst “asked us to be here, we couldn’t really say no.”</p><p>Zircon grinned and looked at the three of them, then back to the crowd behind them. Someone caught her eye. Sitting in one of the chairs, talking to two Jaspers and an Amethyst, was Nephrite, from class.</p><p>“Oh, Nephrite, how are you doing?” Zircon walked over to the table as everyone at the table looked over. “I see you’ve met some of the gang.”</p><p>Nephrite nodded, “Yes. They have quite a few stories about you.” She turned to the others. “What was that one about the limb enhancers?” Everyone started laughing.</p><p>The smaller of the two Jaspers cut in. “That Demantoid was mad for a month”</p><p>Zircon shook her head. “There was a perfectly good reason for it.” Before she could get into it, there was a knock at the door.</p><p>Amethyst hopped off the chair she was on. “I’ll get it.” She opened the door. “Yo, sorry we started a little early.”</p><p>“It’s not a problem. I’m just sorry I won’t be able to stay for longer.”</p><p>Zircon looked over and nearly jumped out of her seat when she saw who it was. Steven Universe walked into the room, with Amethyst closing the door behind him. He was carrying a potted plant, and walked towards Zircon as she got up to greet him.</p><p>“I wanted to drop by when I heard you were moving in today.” Steven said. “I know it’s not a lot, but here.” He held out the plant, which Zircon accepted quickly. “House plants do a lot to brighten up an area. Just be sure to water it and give it sunlight.”</p><p>Zircon nodded as she placed the plant in the middle of the table. “I will; and thank you. I know it’s not easy to take time out for someone you don’t know well.”</p><p>“I’m glad to be here,” Steven said, looking around the room. “Just moving to a new city is tough, but moving to a new planet? It can be scary, but we can all get through it together.” He glanced at Amethyst and Pearl, busy talking to a Jasper with noticeably poofy hair, then back to Zircon. “Earth is your home now. I hope it’s everything you thought it could be.”</p><p>Zircon smiled. It felt like the most genuine smile she’d had in a long time. “Yeah, I think it is.”</p><p>Before long, it was late enough that Steven had to leave. Zircon thanked him profusely over his apologies that he couldn’t stay for longer. A few hours later, it was time for Pearl and Amethyst to leave as well. The rest of the gems stayed through the night, catching up and sharing stories. Zircon and Nephrite told the others about Little Homeschool and the things they were learning. After everything, Zircon was surprised when a few of them said it sounded interesting; that maybe they’d try it. So it went on, until the night was almost over. Gradually, everyone trickled out back into the world.</p><p>After the last few people had left, Zircon was alone again. But she didn’t feel alone. Then it occurred to her, that was what was so special about Earth. It brought people together, even if only for a little while.</p><p>Zircon looked out her window. The street outside was slightly illuminated, the day had not quite started. A wave of calm washed away her anxieties; about moving, about the future. She smiled. The sun was about to rise.</p>
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